As presentation software, specifically Microsoft PowerPoint, has gained acceptance as the primary method to formally present information in a business setting, the art of giving an engaging presentation is becoming rare. Many presenters now just read the bullet points in the presentation and immediately bore those in attendance, who can already read it for themselves.
The real problem is not with PowerPoint as much as it is with the person creating and presenting. Author and thinker Seth Godin put it this way: “PowerPoint could be the most powerful tool on your computer. But it’s not. It’s actually a dismal failure. Almost every PowerPoint presentation sucks rotten eggs.” 1 The software used to help you communicate should not duplicate the presentation you want to give, but instead it should support it. I highly recommend the book Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds to anyone who wants to improve their presentation skills.
Software developers are becoming aware of this problem as well. New digital presentation technologies are being developed, with the hopes of becoming “the next PowerPoint.” One innovative new presentation application is Prezi. Prezi is a presentation tool that uses a single canvas for the presentation, allowing presenters to place text, images, and other media on the canvas, and then navigate between these objects as they present. Just as with PowerPoint, Prezi should be used to supplement the presentation. And we must always remember that sometimes the best presentations are made with no digital tools.
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